The success of Think Like a Man once again proves that intelligent programming properly marketed and distributed in comparative theaters will compete with, or in this case, outperform their mainstream counterparts. Steve Harvey’s book-turned-movie took the top spot for the second week in a row despite being shown in 1000 less theaters than its nearest competitors.

We can’t really include such blockbuster movies like Beverly Hills Cop, Inside Man, Coming to America, Independence Day and Men in Black because the conventional wisdom is that once a star ascends to superstar status, they no longer are “black stars” for some reason. Secondly, these films were expected to take the top spot because they were being powered by transcendent personalities.

Below are the 10 movies that surprised movie pundits, prognosticators and critics alike by opening at the top of the box office. -terry shropshire